“"Gift yourself with time to clarify your dream and share it with others. Then, step out of the spotlight, so your leaders can find their way into it!"”
I became an ENVP with my 2-year-old daughter, Grace, sitting on my lap. That may sound odd to some people, but it fit perfectly into the vision I had for my business. It proved to me that if I worked hard enough at clarifying my dreams, I could make them a reality.
In February, I reached first step Nation, but did not have a Central Region that could promote to Nation right away, and I was scared it would not happen. In fact, it ended up taking me four months to build one, or rather, it took us four months. Nation, above all other levels, is certainly one you cannot possibly achieve without a phenomenal team, and mine is the best!
I am so proud of the fact that I allowed myself the time to slow down, step out of a place of fear and re-evaluate what my vision for my organization and life was. I have been in Arbonne for 18 months, and I used to move so fast, although it does not seem that way anymore. We have a tendency, sometimes, to get caught up in how fast others are moving and decide that if we are not doing it the exact same way, we are doing something wrong. When we think that way, we risk forgetting that in Arbonne, as in life, we all are on our own journeys. So, I stepped back and really thought about what it meant to me to be an NVP. As I delved into what I wanted my organization to look like, I realized I had not shared that idea with my team, and missed a big part of leading them. I did not have a clear enough vision, and was not moving forward. So, I got to work.
I had a large organization and a promoted Region moving toward Nation, so I had already earned the potential to make an NVP paycheck. It was not the money I had a desire for, it was something else. To me, promoting to Nation meant that I had followed through with this commitment and it showed. It meant I could stop worrying about my own promotions and just enjoy supporting others in theirs. It also meant that I had the potential to be a part in changing many other peoples’ lives.
What was evident in the soul searching I did was that I could not, and did not want, to reach Nation on my own. I always knew it was not something I could possibly attain without helping others get where they wanted to go; but, I had been focused on all the work I was doing, and how it was not producing the results I wanted among my team. I loved my job, but spent a lot of days feeling like a lone wolf, trying to get others to “step up” and become leaders. I began to see that I wanted it for me. I wanted help, a business partner, and yet, I had not made room for my team members to step up. So, I consciously decided to step out of the spotlight, and let them step in. There is something incredibly freeing in choosing to give others a chance to use their gifts, so they might realize their own potential. I sought out ways to ask my team to lead with their strengths. And, I believe they started to see their own greatness and grew into their leadership roles, which was something that could not have happened when it was about me needing help. I love the end of the month, when the e-mails start coming from the Home Office with new VP promotions, before the midnight closing deadline. I think that is the sign of a truly strong organization, a solid team. I decided that I wanted to finish Nation before 9 p.m. on closing night with more volume than we needed. I also knew that working 24/7 was not something I would ever be willing to do, so I had to keep the desire to be with my family in front of me; that meant getting there with business builders, not by doing 50 Presentations a month, or selling all of the product myself! This time I gifted myself to clarify my dream, which changed the way I worked, and helped me see how important it was to get to NVP my way.
Something amazing happened when I carried out the work I envisioned — the things I wanted became real. I shared my vision and fears with my team, and my leaders emerged. They literally joined forces with me to create a strong, growing organization where we began to really care more about each other. In March, my business was literally transformed.
They say leaders are not born, they are made, and it is our job to nurture that growth. A large part of our growth relies in us refocusing on building leaders. I wanted to involve more Managers in helping to support their teams, so that when they grew to Area, RVP and Nation, they would get there with skills in place to lead. Each month, our Nation does a goal-setting challenge and Consultants share their goals with their Area Manager, who helps coach them through it. We have begun to focus a lot on what effective coaching is, and how it can support someone building the businesses of their dreams. That includes a lot of listening and we are all working on getting better at that. In addition to individual coaching, I started group coaching with Districts and Areas, which helped individuals, but also modeled coaching for their leader.
I initiated weekly leadership calls where AMs and RVPs had time to touch base with each other. This has given us a forum to share our visions, wins and places where we struggle.
I also started to focus on what it meant to be an attractive force to others, and frequently talked to my team about this.
If you have no fears, or obstacles and have all the answers, you are not attractive, and neither is your job. No one wants a job that requires perfection! I encourage my team to embrace their imperfections, appreciate their “realness,” and at the same time, challenge them to grow. In addition, if your life and business are out of balance, and you are constantly working, effectively or not, how many people looking for freedom will jump in the fire with you? If you fall in love with someone’s potential, and not them, and they constantly fall short of your expectations, how attractive are you as a leader? Many leaders will agree that as you move up in management, you tend to be praised less within your organization — that is not necessarily attractive, or empowering, so at our leadership meetings we take the time to praise each other, which has done immense good for our belief in ourselves and our businesses. A part of our monthly goal-setting challenge is that Consultants must decide how to reward themselves in little ways throughout the month for achieving smaller goals. This way, when they get to the end, even if they do not achieve their awesome goal, they still have had a month where they have been in action and had opportunities to reap the rewards of the work they did well. If you get to the end of a month of work, and have not enjoyed the journey, your job is not attractive! We need to be real to be attractive and let the real side out, which was a risk, well worth taking.
On May 31st at 8:40 p.m. Eastern time, I became an ENVP, four Consultants in my Nation reached first step RVP, and we finished with well over the volume we needed. I did not do it alone, other people became successful with me, and my little girl was sitting on my lap when the numbers jumped!
Of course, this is a journey that many people have accompanied me on, and I would not be writing this story without them.
To all of my AMs, DMs and Consultants: Give yourself the time to clarify your visions and let’s get you all the way. This is a journey well worth taking.
To NVP Nadia Shipley and her Nation: You all are a model of consistent, passionate action and have been a great part of my success. Thank you.
To ERVP Karla Fraterrigo, ERVP Stacie Graber and RVP Debbie Frank: What a force! I am amazed by the way you jumped in and captured the vision right away and cannot wait to celebrate you and your teams.
To my sponsor, ENVP Mary Beth Relyea: Thank you for seeing the leader in me, and for making room for me to step into the spotlight. You have done so much to nurture me and have been a terrific friend.
To ENVP Bonnie Erickson: Thank you for always checking in and supporting me.
To ERVP Sasha Ferrucci, RVP Tasha Ruiz and AM Angela Ryan, the “ladies who lunch:” It is amazing how much people will love you when you let them. You three have touched my heart and helped me to clarify this dream, and there are no words to express how grateful I am for you in my life!
Thank you to my mom and dad, who allowed me to voice my clarity of vision for my business, checked in on how things were going and held that vision high for me.
To President Rita Davenport: Thank you for your incredible model of leadership. Leading with love works and you are proof of that.
To everyone at the Home Office: We are fortunate to have such patient, considerate and hard-working people behind us! Thank you.
To Tim and Grace: Thank you for sacrificing time with me, offering rooms in our home and phone use, so I could work to build my business and change our lives. Your patience, ear and support have wrapped me in love and I love you so much!
Now, I am constantly clarifying my vision because it is not something that is ever set in stone. And, I am also learning more and more every day to appreciate the cycles of my business, and how they fit into my life. I am grateful for the chance to keep growing as a leader.
Clarify your vision, share it and hold it high. Be true to yourself and your beliefs. Then, watch your dreams take shape in front of your eyes.
The testimonials on this Web site reflect the actual experience of each individual, are anecdotal only, and may be atypical. The testimonials are not based upon any clinical study.
